U.S. Millennial Travelers are Relaxed, Romantic and Embrace #YOLO

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New U.S. generational data released today by Expedia® Media Solutions,
the advertising arm of Expedia, Inc., shows that American travelers are
deal-driven explorers, and Millennials embrace the ‘you only live once’
(#YOLO) mentality, take risks and focus on crossing things off their
bucket list, while Gen X prefers relaxing trips and visiting family. The
findings, from a survey conducted by Northstar Research Partners,
illustrate broad U.S. travel trends as well as the distinct shopping
habits, influences and motivations of travelers across four generations,
including Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers.

Across all generations, Americans are open-minded travelers who are
deciding between two or more destinations and seeking help and
inspiration during the travel planning process. Friends and family,
online travel agencies (OTAs) and search engines are the largest
influences on travel decisions. Although more than 90 percent of
Americans say they look for deals and value, they ultimately prioritize
activities and experiences over discounts when making travel decisions.

“While some of the findings were expected, such as Gen Z being more
influenced by social media than Baby Boomers, we also uncovered
surprising nuances and distinct habits within each generation, including
the insight that Millennials are most likely to be influenced by
advertising,” said Wendy Olson Killion, Global Senior Director at
Expedia Media Solutions. “Our research into the generational influences,
motivations and decision drivers of American travelers provides fresh
insights and takeaways to help marketers successfully target and convert
each age group.”

Gen Z is Open-Minded, Bucket-List Oriented and Looking for Off the
Beaten Path Locations

Gen Z travels 29 days a yeari and although they have a budget
in mind when planning a trip, they invest in travel, and are more likely
than other generations to travel internationally or for a special event.
They are avid outdoor explorers and only one-third of Gen Z travelers
have a destination in mind when they begin the research process.

About 80 percent of Gen Z are looking to explore the outdoors and be
active, opt for off the beaten path destinations and recommendations
from locals, and embrace #YOLO. More than one-third travel for special
events like concerts, festivals and sports.

Gen Z spends about 25 percent of their budget on flights – more than
any other generation – but may be seeking cheaper accommodation
options. They spend less on hotels than other generations, and are
also more likely to consider alternative accommodations.

Nearly 90 percent of Gen Z travelers said their decisions are
influenced by social media, either through searches or online
connections such as family and friends. Facebook and Instagram are the
most influential platforms, but this tech-savvy generation is more
likely than other generations to be influenced by Snapchat.

Millennials travel more than any other generation (35 days per year) and
are more likely than other generations to be influenced by advertising
during the decision-making process. They enjoy a wider variety of trip
types, including relaxing at the beach or a resort, visiting family,
sight-seeing, romantic getaways, and leisure.

Similar to Gen Z, Millennials are #YOLO adventure-seekers; eight in 10
are looking to explore the outdoors and opt for off the beaten path
destinations. However, unlike Gen Z, Millennials are also focused on
relaxation: 83 percent said they prefer all-inclusive, worry-free
vacations, and 75 percent said they’re all about taking a nap on the
beach and indulging in spa treatments.

Nearly 70 percent of Millennials stayed in a hotel on their last trip
– more than any other generation--but they allocate less of their
budget to hotels than Gen X and Boomers.

Over 70 percent of Millennials, more than any other generation, said
ads can be influential during the decision-making process, and they
are most influenced by ads featuring appealing deals or imagery and
informative content.

More than half of Millennials are using OTAs to book travel, followed
by search engines (39 percent) and hotel sites (33 percent).

Family-oriented Gen X travels only 26 days per year, less than any other
generation, but they spend more on hotels and prefer relaxing trips,
sight-seeing vacations and visiting family.

Nearly 90 percent of Gen X travels domestically and 43 percent travel
by car, which is likely why these road trip warriors are willing to
allocate more of their budget to hotels (30 percent) and attractions
or tours (13 percent).

Gen X is influenced less by social media than their younger
counterparts, but more than half are influenced by Facebook and they
are more likely to be influenced by Pinterest than Gen Z.

About 90 percent of Gen X said they look for deals and read travel
reviews before making a decision, and 88 percent said informative
content from destinations and travel brands can influence their
decision.

Baby Boomers Are Decisive and Confident Travelers, And Not Tied to
Budget

Boomers travel 27 days per year and are heavily focused on visiting
family, so they know where they want to go and how to get there, which
makes them seem more predictable than other generations. However, they
are less likely to be tied to a budget than other generations, and when
not visiting family, they fill their itinerary with museums, historical
sites, arts and culture and recommendations from locals.

When they start planning a trip, over 55 percent of Baby Boomers have
already decided on a destination and 43 percent said they don’t need
any help. More than 67 percent of Boomers are taking trips to visit
family, substantially more than other generations, while relaxing and
sightseeing vacations round out their top trip types.

Less budget driven than younger generations, fewer than 60 percent of
Baby Boomers said budget was a primary factor when planning a trip.
This is likely why 66 percent are influenced by ads with informative
content, compared to about 60 percent influenced by ads with appealing
deals.

Half of Baby Boomers are using OTAs to plan and book travel, but they
are more likely than other generations to use hotel and airline sites.

More Multi-Generational Marketing Insights

For more findings and insights that marketers can leverage to better
reach, engage and convert American travelers, and to view the full
study, please visit: http://bit.ly/american-travel.

About Expedia Media Solutions

Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia, Inc., offers
industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to
reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around
the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global
points of sale, Expedia Media Solutions provides partners with
proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every
stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions,
to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more
information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com.

About Expedia, Inc.

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world’s largest online travel
company, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online
travel brands, such as:

Expedia.com®,
a leading full-service online travel brand with localized sites in 33
countries

Expedia®
Affiliate Network (EAN), a global B2B brand that powers the hotel
business of hundreds of leading airlines, travel agencies, loyalty and
corporate travel companies plus several top consumer brands through
its API and template solutions

trivago®,
a leading online hotel search platform with sites in 55 countries
worldwide

Expedia
Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge
services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in over a
thousand destinations worldwide

Expedia®
CruiseShipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert
advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network
of over 235 retail travel agency franchises across North America